DENVER BUSINESS JOURNAL - Whether it's the opening of Denver Union Station, creating development plans that cater to millennials or building apartment complexes right next to light rail stations, Denver in recent years has made some big moves to cater to people looking for that walkable-community feel.

But then why, according to the George Washington University study released by the Locus organization Tuesday, does Denver rank No. 14 out of 30 metropolitan areas rather than higher?

Locus is a Washington, D.C.-based national coalition of real estate developers and investors who advocate for sustainable, walkable communities.

Walkability is a feature often touted by advocates of "new urbanism" — the movement to encourage neighborhoods that support foot traffic and transit use rather than driving.

John Desmond, executive vice president for downtown environment at the Downtown Denver Partnership, said the ranking has a lot to do with Denver being a less-dense city than the top five, for example, most of which are coastal cities.